Safety trolley plow



April 6, 1943. R HANS SAFETY TROLLEY PLOW Filed Jan. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W m d April 6, R H S SAFETY TROLLEY PLOW Filed Jan. 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 yf/ @Mm Inventor Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY TROLLEY PLOW Raymond Hans, Pascagoula, Miss. Application January 16, 1942, Serial No. 427,077

1 Claim.

The invention relates to a safety trolley plow, particularly although not necessarily devised for use on traveling cranes, such as are employed in shipyards, and the like, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a mechanically and electrically efiicient arrangement of. this character which will positively eliminate the otherwise ever-present danger of workmen falling into the trolley slot and being electrocuted the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the safety plow in the act of raising one or more guard plates in passing along the trolley slot, the guard plates being normally in covering relation to the slot and adapted to resume this covering relation upon the passing of the plow.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through the upper part of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the line 3-3 and looking toward the right in the direction of the arrows, showing the plow with its contacts in engagement with the electrical conductors in the trolley slot, the said plow being shown in the action of raising one of the slot guard plates.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing one of the guard plates restored to covering position after passage of the plow.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional detail taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates a floor structure or other similar support in which the trolley slot 6 is formed, with the electric power rails 1 mounted in horizontal vertically spaced positions on the wall member 8 below the top of the floor 5 and in spaced relation to the opposite wall 9. At the right hand edge of the top of the slot is a longitudinal member ID, while a generally similar longitudinal member II is similarly positioned wth respect to the upper end of the wall 9. The laterally inward face of the longitudinal member II is provided with a coextensive metal flange l2 which adjoins a horizontal flange l3 resting on the top longitudinal member H, the two flanges co-operating and constituting a wearresisting rail on which roll the wheels l4 and M which have the V-shaped grooves 15 providing walls which conformably roll upon the flanges l2 and I3 and thereby position the wheels at an acute angle overhanging the slot 6, as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The wheels l4 and I4 form part of the plow generally designated 16 which has an intermediate solid semi-elliptical portion provided at its opposite ends with acutely angulated depending upper and lower arms l8 and I8. A pin 19 passes through each pair of arms to journal the corresponding one of the wheels l4 and M on the plow. A heavy depending centralized arm l9 extends into the trolley slot 6 and has on one side the contacts 20 to bear mechanically and electrically against the power rails 1, suitable conductors being provided to lead the current to the mechanism on the traveling crane or the like to which the plow I6 is attached by the arm 2| which rises from the plow.

The top of the semi-elliptical solid body is curved downwardly toward both ends and is also slanted downwardly toward the right as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. The arm 2| is con nected with the opposite side of the said body and projects upwardly at an acute angle.

Conformably secured on the bowed upper surface of the said body and extending beyond the opposite ends of the body is the bow-shaped plow element which is generally designated 23 and whose depressed relatively flexible end portions 24 are on a level below the guard plates 25 which in a normal closed position rest on the top of the longitudinal element l0 and on the top of the angle rail flange I! as indicated in Figure 4 of the drawings, whereby as the plow moves forwardly along the slot 6 the appropriate end of the plow element 23 will engage under the adjacent marginal portion of the corresponding guard plates 25 and elevate them as indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings in a progressive manner to the maximum elevated position illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, from which the plates are allowed to subside by the trailing portion of the plow element to their closed positions as the plow element is carried along by the plow IS in the transit of the crane or the like. It is to be observed that the plow element 23 is operable in either direction, being arranged for full operation in either direction. The unsupported end portions of the plow element are sufliciently flexible to ease the shock of engaging succeeding ones of the guard plates.

The engagement of the guard plates 25 with the plow element 23 is substantially frictionless, and need for frequent repairs is substantially eliminated :by the provision in the plow element 23 of the longitudinally spaced transversely extending rollers 26 which turn on pins 21 supported in openings 28 formed in the plow element 23 as generallyindicatedin Figure .5 of the drawings. It will be observed: that the plow element is a substantially parallel sided plate or strip bent to the desired contour, with the central portion tilted gradually to an angulation at the middle of the plow element corresponding to the maximum angulation of the guard plates 25 in the transit of the plow. It is found that with normal upkeep such as occasional greasing, the deviceof the invention serves efiiciently and substantially without attention over long periods of time, and that workmen are positively excluded from coming into inadvertent contact with the power rails in the trolley slot.

Theguard plates 25 are elongated rectangular in form and the major portion thereof overlies the longitudinal member H) alongthe top of the trolleyslot, with-the remote edge bent as indicated by the numeral..29 and fulcrumedon the outer. upper corner of the element H] as the guard plate is raised. It is obvious that anysuitable means of .hinging .the guard plates while permitting them. the necessary; freedom ofaction, is contemplated as within the present invention.

Although there is shown and described herein a. preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to g;

be understood that it is not desired to limit the application of the invention thereof except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

The combination with a support having a horizontal open top conduit therein with vertically spaced horizontal conductor rails on one side wall thereof, and a plurality of cover plates for said conduit normally resting on said support in end-to-end relation and upwardly swingable laterally and successively, of a plow for swinging said plate including an elongated carriage adapted to travel endwise along and above said conduit and having a longitudinally bowed laterally inclined top, means to mount said carriage on said support directly over said conduit for traveling movement along the latter comprising grooved rollers mounted at the ends of the carriage on the under side of the same to incline laterally from one side thereof in a common plane, said rollers straddling one edge of the support along said conduit, a contact arm depending from the center of the carriage in upright position and bridging said conductor rails, a carriage operating arm inclining upwardly and laterally from said side of the carriage, and an elongated strip-like member extending lengthwise conformably along the top of the carriage and having opposite ends extending beyond the ends of said carriage and into said conduit to pick up said plates, said strip-like member being provided with rollers spaced apart longitudinally of thesame.

RAYMOND HANS. 

